No Core i5 processors for the 13" I'd rather have core 2 duo with a decent integrated card than an i3 or i5 with an intel HD. And no, for that price getting a discrete card with and i3 or i5 is not feasible.
Sub-par GPU in the 15 and 17" Agreed, but Apple never gets the latest GPU. Not surprising.
No USB 3.0 There won't be until Intel supports it natively. You still have firewire 800. It's not the same but it's more than decent. Besides, the amount of stuff running on usb 3.0 is even smaller than firewire 800 (for now).
No higher res screen as standardI prefer to have the option, really. MY eyesight allows me to use a higher resolution display, but that's not the same for everybody.
No Blu-RayBy the time Blu-Ray becomes a standard it will be obsolete. Hell, in a way it is already obsolete, with streaming HD content and blu-ray rips everywhere.

What REALLY pisses me off is that they have increased their price in Europe.
The computer I'd want would cost me 700€ more in Europe than in the US... that's a ******* joke, especially considering the Apple Store gives you the same "illegal" 1 year warranty in Spain as in the US.

I agree with you in that there are no other laptops that offer that level of portability and battery life. My complaint is that these benefits do not justify the huge price premium that is now more obvious than ever. You can get these components in laptops that cost half as much. Is the design, build quality and battery life worth double in parts and research? I don't think so.

The impressive profit margins Apple is very proud of only prove that the extra we pay is not going towards better components or R&D, it's going into their pocket. I have gotten quite attached to OSX in the two years that I've had my MacBook Pro so I think I'm just gonna have to grin and bear it.

Revivas,

No Core i5 processors for the 13"
Yes it is feasible to get a discrete GPU in tandem with an i5/7. HP, Dell, Toshiba and Asus can do it, so can Apple.

Sub-par GPU in the 15 and 17"
Yes, not surprising but disappointing all the same.

No USB 3.0
Yes, FW800 is decent and I'm a happy user right now. But when you pay so much you expect to have something to show for it. USB3.0 might not have many supported devices now but it will in future. Where would be now if nobody decided to adopt USB2.0 at the beginning? The tech world is not going to stand still for Apple. I am guessing that Apple is holding out for Lightpeak, at least we have to something to look forward to as it seems promising.

No higher res screen as standard
I would prefer to have the option as well but if you're going to put a screen that is below average (resolution and price), charge less for it.

No Blu-Ray
It's not obsolete yet and I don't think anyone can reliably predict it's obsolescence now. As long as I can buy Blu-Rays, I would want to be able to play them on my computer. Other laptops provide this functionality, why can't the laptop that costs twice as much. It all goes back to price, if I am going to be getting a laptop with reduced functionality, I don't want to pay more for it.

As you say, since there are no other laptops out there which combine the power and portability of the 15"/17" Macbook Pro, they've got no competition and can charge whatever they like. It's just business.

I've little interest in buying a Mac as I would rather keep the Windows software I've acquired since taking up photography. Still waiting on other manufacturers to produce something that rivals the Macbook Pros.

No Core i5 processors for the 13"
Yes it is feasible to get a discrete GPU in tandem with an i5/7. HP, Dell, Toshiba and Asus can do it, so can Apple.

Do Dell, Toshibas and Asus have aliminium unibodies, 8 hour lasting battery, glass trackpads, discrete cards AND Mac OS X inside? No. Then we are comparing apples to oranges (pardon the pun).
Yes, Apple is more expensive and generally offers less hardware, but it has always been like that... yet their market share has been growing steadily...

What I am saying is that they give you other features, and they charge a premium for them. Nobody is saying Apple is cheap, but comparing just hardware is crazy, as Apple is giving you many other features that the others are not giving you.

That is true but as long as the merits of having a Mac at all are debatable, the premium is as well. The other hardware manufacturers give many features that Apple does not give and yet they don't charge more. This is turning into the typical Mac vs PC debate so I'm just gonna leave it here and hope that I don't regret going the Mac route when I next upgrade my MBP.